The new system, which will integrate 300 health indicators and feature over 45 interactive dashboards, will serve as a comprehensive database for the Ministry of Health and Prevention (MoHAP) to support data-driven decision-making.
For several years, UAE health officials struggled with critical data scattered across hospitals, clinics, and government entities, making it difficult to gain a comprehensive view of the nation’s health. To address this challenge, a new digital platform, Bayan, has been launched.
Bayan consolidates the country’s health data — ranging from disease rates and doctor licenses to hospital beds and medical graduates — into a single, interactive dashboard. Launched at the World Health Expo (WHX) by the Ministry of Health and Prevention (MoHAP), the platform is already reshaping how leaders plan for the future.
An expert described Bayan as a “single source of truth” for the UAE, connecting historical and live data from public and private healthcare providers, government entities, and even non-health sectors.
Dr Alya Zaid Harbi, Director of the Statistics and Research Center at MoHAP, described Bayan as a national unifier.
“It is a big data platform and enterprise data warehouse where we connect all the data — historical and live — into one platform,” she explained.
“The data comes from different sources: electronic medical records, national health surveys, as well as non-health sectors like education and road traffic. Even education data, such as the number of students studying medicine or nursing, is included.”
UAE Launches Bayan Platform as ‘Single Source of Truth’ for Health Data
Dubai: The UAE has launched Bayan, a new digital platform designed to consolidate health data from across the country, providing a single source of truth for policymakers and health officials. The system, unveiled at the World Health Expo (WHX) by the Ministry of Health and Prevention (MoHAP), integrates over 300 health indicators and 45 interactive dashboards, giving decision-makers a comprehensive view of the nation’s health.
National Unifier
Dr Alya Zaid Harbi, Director of the Statistics and Research Center at MoHAP, described Bayan as a national unifier.
“It is a big data platform and enterprise data warehouse where we connect all the data — historical and live — into one platform,” she explained.
“The data comes from different sources: electronic medical records, national health surveys, as well as non-health sectors like education and road traffic. Even education data, such as the number of students studying medicine or nursing, is included.”
Dr Alya spoke to Khaleej Times on the sidelines of WHX, where she also gave a live demonstration of the system.
Smarter Decision-Making
Bayan is not just about storing information; it transforms data into actionable insights.
“It gives the big picture of UAE population health,” Dr Alya said. “It helps in planning, decision-making, and putting strategy. We can prioritise our needs based on evidence.”
Using Geographic Information System (GIS) mapping, officials can identify disease clusters, track workforce shortages, and project future demands. The dashboards cover areas such as birth and death statistics, vaccinations, hospital beds, workforce distribution, Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), and global competitiveness rankings.
“Sometimes we can see trends and projections — what will happen in 2030, for example,” she said. “Maybe there are specific diseases in one area. It will show us if we need more workforce there.”
Years of Work Behind the Platform
Building Bayan took over three years, not only due to the volume of data but also the rigorous processes required for integration and validation.
“It has so many background things,” Dr Alya said. “We’re not only taking data as integration. There are business rules for data, ensuring data quality and validation.”
The platform incorporates historical records from as early as 2005 alongside live updates. During the demonstration, Dr Alya showed a dashboard tracking live birth counts:
“Yesterday, we increased by around 300 babies,” she said.
“The system is interactive. If I drill it down to Abu Dhabi, it gives me the information.”
Disease Registries and Workforce Planning
Bayan also houses national disease registries for cancer, diabetes, multiple sclerosis, and disability, enabling authorities to monitor trends and take preventive action.
The platform tracks medical students, their universities, and graduation rates, feeding into workforce projections.
“If we want the projection for 2030, we can see how many students are studying surgery, for example, and from which university,” she explained.
